


Dusty Daydreams

by d_e_s



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Comfort, Fluff, M/M, rude tends to reno's wounds, soft, takes place after you fight reno, yeah this is just fluff and soft tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:55:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24172426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d_e_s/pseuds/d_e_s
Summary: “He also claimed to be SOLDIER. First Class. Well, ex-SOLDIER First Class. He had the eyes for it, and he fought like one, but he wasn’t anyone that I knew. Which means that he definitely wasn’t part of the program, given that we’ve kept close tabs on all the Firsts for as long as I can remember. He’s weird,” Reno complained as he crossed his arms against his chest. There had been something else about the kid, something that itched fiercely at the back of his mind, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t put his finger on it. While it was true that he hadn’t met him before--he would have remembered him, he always remembered SOLDIER First Class members just in case a situation like this were to arise--there was something just so familiar about him. // a one-shot that takes place after cloud beats reno in the church. reno wonders where he's seen that weapon before while rude tends to his wounds and makes plans for revenge. canon divergent fluff.
Relationships: Reno & Rude (Compilation of FFVII), Reno/Rude (Compilation of FFVII)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 67





	Dusty Daydreams

That damn wanna-be SOLDIER brat had done a number on him.

Though he had dismissed the ShinRa infantryman who had previously been assisting him, it was not because he was feeling any better than when he’d first been beaten, but rather because his pride would not allow him to be so visibly-escorted back into the office. The steep cost of his pride did not change the fact that his body  _ hurt _ , though, and as he stood outside of Tseng’s office, Reno could not help but wonder if he would have been better off keeping the assistance. Pain, white and hot like a sudden strike of lightning during a dry summer storm, tore up from his ribs as he took too deep a breath, and for just a moment, Reno felt a slight tremble behind his knees as he fought to keep composure, though he couldn’t stop from leaning up against the nearest wall as he fought to even out his breathing, as he waited for the dull roar in his head to die back down again. 

Ugh, this  _ sucked _ . 

Mood rapidly plummeting, Reno shoved himself off of the wall with a grunt and strode into Tseng’s office, the strength of his irritation abruptly acting as a shield to the pain that he had been far too aware of just moments before. From the corner of his eyes, Reno could see that Tseng wasn’t alone in the office today: Rude sat on the couch, and from the looks of, he and Tseng had been about to have a conversation. Whatever conversation that had been, though, would have to come later: Reno could feel the weight of Rude’s gaze on him, heavy yet oddly reassuring, and though he kept the majority of his attention on Tseng, he could see Rude’s fingers slowly clenched into fists and flash of irritation that crossed his face, apparent in the sudden set of Rude’s jaw and tightness of his shoulders. They would have a conversation of their own later, Reno knew, but for now he needed to not pay attention to the other--which was easier said than done, given that the second Reno had spotted Rude, he had been the only one that Reno had wanted to focus on. There was little more he wanted more in the world right now than to lean against the other--today had been rough, and his mood was shit, but Rude somehow always managed to make him feel better. 

“Reno, what happened?” Tseng asked. He sat behind his desk, and though his expression remained as steadfast and stoic as ever, Reno could see faint lines of concern in the corners of his eyes, and in the way he was suddenly tapping the end of his pen against his desk as though lost in thought. 

“Aerith is safe for now,” Reno reported. “She was in the church, as we thought she would be, but she wasn’t alone. There was someone with her, claimed to be her bodyguard. Well, she claimed that he was her bodyguard, and he was reluctantly going along with it.” 

“And?” Tseng questioned. Of course, he already knew all of this: Reno had phoned him on the helicopter ride back to base. The only reason Reno was repeating himself right now was to make an official report over what had happened, to keep the paperwork clean and concise so nothing could come back and burn them later. It was an annoying, but necessary part of the job.

“He also claimed to be SOLDIER. First Class. Well, ex-SOLDIER First Class. He had the eyes for it, and he fought like one, but he wasn’t anyone that I knew. Which means that he definitely wasn’t part of the program, given that we’ve kept close tabs on all the Firsts for as long as I can remember. He’s weird,” Reno complained as he crossed his arms against his chest. There had been something else about the kid, something that itched fiercely at the back of his mind, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t put his finger on it. While it was true that he hadn’t met him before--he would have remembered him, he always remembered SOLDIER First Class members just in case a situation like this were to arise--there was something just so  _ familiar _ about him. 

“Mnm,” Tseng said as his brows furrowed. The pen that had been rhythmically tapping at the end of the desk abruptly stopped, and in the same second, he shook his head. Whatever was going through his mind, he clearly wasn’t happy with what had happened. “The fact that we now have a supposed ex-SOLDIER First Class running around is troubling. As troubling as that is, though, he’s not our priority right now: Aerith is. We need to secure her, and sooner rather than later. We’ve been too lenient with her for too long.” Quietly, Tseng pushed himself back from his desk and stood, before he glanced over at Rude, who had been silent throughout the entire interaction. 

For just a moment, Tseng’s expression softened. It was a subtle, quick change, and if Reno hadn’t known the man as well as he did, he would have thought it to be nothing more than a trick of his exhaustion. The determination that had previously blanketed him was quickly fraying and threatened to unravel at any moment. It was all he could do to continue to stand before Tseng, his head raised high despite the bruises that mottled and marked his skin, and he knew he would not be able to stay on his feet for much longer without assistance.

“Rude, Reno,” Tseng said, “take the rest of the day off. I’ll deal with this. If there are any more  _ surprises _ , I want to make sure that I’m there to see them myself.” It was a thinly veiled favor, though Reno could not tell whether it was a favor to him or a favor to Rude, though he supposed in the end the technicalities didn’t matter. With a breath of laughter, Reno nodded at Tseng, grateful for the unexpected gift. It meant that he wouldn’t have to spend the rest of the day moping over the events of the afternoon, and also meant that he could pester Rude into taking care of him instead of having to do everything himself like he had originally figured he would. 

“You got it, boss,” Reno said. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Rude (he’d tried so hard to keep all of his attention on Tseng, he had, but it’d been a lost cause from the very beginning) nod in agreement. He watched as Rude for longer than he should have, and smiled despite himself because of it: he could see how impatient Rude was to get up in the way he was tapping his fingers against his leg, in the fact that despite the fact he’d been sitting for their entire interactions, he seemed taunt and ready to jump up at the slightest notice--or perhaps, given Reno’s current condition, slightest stumble. 

Tseng glanced between the two of them, before he nodded, as though they had unintentionally passed some sort of test. Whatever he had seen--truly, Reno couldn’t begin to even  _ guess _ as to what was going through his head--he seemed satisfied with it. Quickly, Tseng pushed his chair back from his desk and got to his feet, unspoken urgency in his actions. Aerith had been a priority of theirs for a long time, now: the fact that she had to come with them willingly had hindered them greatly. To suddenly have this sort of complication arise only meant problems for them going forward--the sooner they dealt with this, the sooner things could go back to a relative amount of normal. As Tseng walked towards the door, though, he paused and placed a gentle hand on Reno’s shoulder. He kept the contact for a few seconds, before he nodded again and headed out of the office, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

It had been a gesture of comfort, and Reno recognized it as such. It told him that he looked as bad as he felt, and that despite the fact he’d come into the room proudly, on his own two feet, he’d been far from fooling anyone when it came to how he felt. He didn’t have much time to ponder over it, though, for the second he heard the soft click of the door as it latched behind Tseng, Reno felt his legs finally give out as the last of his fight left him, and the pain he’d been trying so hard to ignore instantly roared back to life. Nausea twisted his stomach, and he grunted as he staggered, the black spots that had previously lurked in the corner of his vision suddenly swelling and threatening to overcome him. 

Before he had a chance to fall, though, he felt Rude’s arms wrap around him. With a small noise of pain, Reno staggered against Rude, and threw his arm around his neck in an attempt to steady himself. He didn’t have a chance to right himself though, before he suddenly felt Rude’s arms under his legs, and before he could react he found himself pressed against the other’s chest. The relief in his body was immediate: as soon as he was off his feet, his vision began to clear, and the nausea that had pounded behind his eyes faded back into nothing. Too tired to argue against the embrace--or even make a joke, for that matter--Reno shifted so his head could rest against Rude’s shoulder. 

“Thanks, partner,” Reno muttered as he took a few moments to simply take comfort in Rude’s embrace. “Was wondering when you were gonna do that.” A quiet warmth filled Reno’s words as he allowed himself to relax against Rude, and gentle affection thrummed deep within his chest despite the weariness he had felt just moments ago. Finally, he was able to get the affection and attention he had craved the second he had entered the room. Now that Rude had his attention, the rest of the world was lost to him, and it was nothing short of a relief for him to have the weight of the world off his shoulders again.

“You came in looking like death,” Rude muttered, voice tight. “Figured it was only a matter of time before your pride finally caught up with you. What happened, Reno?” 

“You heard my report to Tseng, didn’t you? Don’t make me repeat myself,” Reno groaned, wincing as he was gently placed down on the couch Rude had occupied just moments ago. While the soft plush the expensive couch felt good against his aching body, he already missed being pressed against Rude’s chest. There had been something comforting in feeling the rise and fall of Rude’s chest, and he would have complained, had he not seen the sheer worry in Rude’s gaze when he kneeled down next to him. Reno’s breath caught as he met Rude’s gaze, and he could not stop himself from reaching out and gently brushing his thumb against Rude’s cheek, and when Rude immediately turned his head to press a kiss against his thumb, he felt his heart skip a beat or two. 

The affection softened Reno, and before Rude had a chance to respond, Reno sighed and shook his head. “Sorry, Rude,” Reno murmured. “It’s just been a really shitty day.”

“You said he claimed to be First Class?” Rude questioned. From the side table, he’d grabbed the first aid kit, and thoroughly began to address the immediate wounds he could see on Reno. Though his touch was gentle, Reno couldn’t help himself from wincing as a hiss of pain slid through his clenched teeth, and his fingernails briefly bit into his palms as Rude took care of the gash on his forehead. 

“Yeah. Some blond kid, not really all that memorable,” Reno muttered, sore over how the day had gone. “Entirely forgettable, but his weapon...ah, there’s something about his weapon that’s bothering me. Feel like I’ve seen it before, but I don’t know where or when. There were a couple of Firsts who had distinctive weapons, and a giant ass sword like that should really stand out, but I can’t put-- _ ow _ .”

Entirely unapologetic, Rude continued to dab at the gash with a potent disinfectant, before he applied a sterile bandage and began to move on to the rest of Reno’s injuries. Bruises mottled Reno’s exposed skin in distinctive purple and black: the more that were exposed, the more Rude's jaw became set as irritation settled over his features. To say he disliked seeing Reno injured was obvious: what was less obvious was what he planned on doing about it. “Mnm. So, you got beat up by a blond kid with mako eyes, and a giant sword strapped to his back?” he questioned, before he leaned forward and brushed a gentle kiss against Reno’s forehead. 

Reno’s eyes closed as he felt the brief kiss. Warmth trailed where Rude’s lips had brushed against his forehead, and despite everything, he smiled. It was a faint, tired smile that lasted only as long as the gentle affection, but Reno felt something deep within his soul settle as he took comfort in the simple gesture. Had he not gotten the kiss, he might have been offended by the bluntness of Rude’s question, but with his mood suddenly lifted he could do little more than give a snort of laughter now, though doing so aggravated his headache. 

“You make it sound as if any brat could just come and beat me up,” Reno teased. “Glad to see you have such a high opinion of me.” 

“Just making sure I know who to look for,” Rude muttered, slightly flustered by the teasing. 

It was enough to make Reno laugh again--one of his favorite things to do was gently tease Rude--and despite the fact that he still hurt, he could not deny the drastic improvement of his mood. Quickly, Reno grabbed Rude’s hands, not in the mood to be poked and bandaged any more now that the worst of his injuries had been addressed, and instead yanked the other towards him with a grunt. As usual, Rude did not move--he was frustratingly steady sometimes--but Reno could see his expression soften almost immediately, and knew he had won their unspoken almost-argument. As soon as he realized this, Reno scooted over on the couch so he was no longer spread across its entirety, and was immediately rewarded when Rude settled down next to him with a soft grunt. With a soft hum of satisfaction, Reno shifted so he could use Rude’s lap as a pillow, and nestled against the other with a quiet, contented sigh. 

“Do you think Sephiroth ruined the aesthetic of having huge swords?” Reno questioned. “Because when I say SOLDIER First with a huge sword, he’s always the first that comes to mind.” His words were punctuated by a massive yawn: now that he was comfortable, his exhaustion was starting to become more potent, making his body heavy and sluggish.

“Probably,” Rude agreed with a soft scoff. “You saying that this guy is a Sephiroth copy?” 

“Nah. Not that kind of sword,” Reno muttered. “He’s also not weird enough to be a Sephiroth copy. Like, he’s weird, but not that type of weird.” 

Rude gave a soft laugh as he listened to Reno’s explanations, amusement laced deeply in the rich sound. “And you’re certain you don’t dislike him just because he beat you?” Rude teased.

It was a question that Reno chose not to answer. With an indignant huff, he shook his head against Rude’s lap and closed his eyes, though he couldn’t help but smile slightly. He was too tired to continue with their conversation right now: the weight behind his eyes was proving exhausting, and each moment he spent sprawled across Rude’s lap brought him closer and closer to sleep. Vaguely, he was aware of a sudden weight across his body: it seemed that Rude had decided to drape his suit jacket across Reno as a sort of blanket. Quietly, Reno wiggled under the jacket, until he could pull it up around his neck and bury his face into it, comforted by the familiar smell of his partner. 

“Mhn, hey, Rude,” Reno muttered. His voice was thick with sleep and barely audible, but he knew he wouldn’t have to repeat himself to get Rude’s attention: he never did. “You wanna get dinner after this? I think it's my turn to treat.”

“The diner?” Rude questioned, as if he didn't already know the answer to his question.

His voice sounded far away, as though he was standing at one end of a tunnel while Reno stood on the opposite end. It echoed and distorted, until Reno could barely make out what he was being asked, and even then he wasn't certain he'd heard him properly. Even as distorted as Rude’s voice was, though, Reno could feel the a warmth that radiated in his question. It swept over him like a warm summer day, wrapping itself around him until he felt nothing but softness in any direction he reached, before it settled deep within his bones. The aches of the day fell apart under the warmth, until all that was left was a feeling of contentment that he only felt when he was around Rude. Distantly, he was aware of the fact that he hadn’t answered Rude’s question, but just as he became aware of that, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to right now. If he remembered it when he woke back up, he’d try again, but for now, he was content to let the warmth embrace him. Finally, he slept. 

When he realized that Reno had passed out in his lap, Rude smiled gently. He tucked the jacket closer against the other, before he leaned forward and pressed a kiss against Reno’s temple. He let himself linger there for a few moments before he slowly pulled back, fondness in his gaze as he protectively (albeit gently) draped an arm against Reno and settled back against the couch. 

He’d ask again later.


End file.
